Day Trip from New York City: Mountains, Falls, & a Funky Town

DO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBE YOU? You enjoy hiking in the fresh mountain air.  You are visiting New York City for a few days or longer.   You venture off the beaten path when you travel and like to find unique hidden gems most tourists don't know about.  You love taking photographs of landscapes and other natural scenes.  All of the above! If you said 'yes' to any or all of the above, keep reading to find out why the Mountains, Falls & a Funky Little Town itinerary is a day-trip designed for you!  THE MOUNTAINS Photo of the author rock climbing in the 'Gunks.  Just 90 minutes north of the greatest city on earth (New York City, of course!), lays the Shawangunk and Catskill Mountains*. The Shawangunk Mountain Ridge is famous in the rock-climbing world because it best climbing spot on the East Coast. For those who don't enjoy hanging off rock-faces, however, the Shawangunk Mountains are filled with hiking trails through forest, meadow, and marshy habitats as well as natural gla